Darren Barnet, 30-year-old star of the streaming platform’s hit teen series “Never Have I Ever,” has signed on as the youth-focused line’s first-ever male “brand ambassador,” joining music duo Chloe x Halle and TikTok-favourite Remi Bader in an effort to make the brand feel more inclusive. This autumn, Barnet will star in a campaign for a fleece jacket that’s part of the label’s “Gender Free” collection, and participate in other promotional activities.
Marketers at Victoria’s Secret have spent the last several years attempting to unpair the brand from the negative image solidified during the #MeToo movement, moving away from cookie-cutter, thin, white and blonde models to a talent roster that is more inclusive not only in terms of size and race, but also gender. (For instance, trans actress and model Hari Nef and her mother recently starred in a Mother’s Day campaign.) The company has also launched a new, online-only brand — Happy Nation — that it says is size-inclusive, genderless and aimed at an even younger audience: children, or tweens, aged 8-13.
Victoria’s Secret Takes Minority Stake in Frankies Bikinis
The self-styled luxury swimwear label — whose bikini pieces retail for upwards of $125 — has since expanded into categories such as beauty, ready-to-wear and footwear and has collaborated with streetwear brand Kith, as well as tennis star Naomi Osaka.
